The pachyderm ran amok during the 'Aarattu' procession of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, reportedly due to bursting of crackers during a festival
Representational picture
ADVERTISEMENT
Thiruvananthapuram: In an incident similar to the recent one at the famous hill shrine of Sabarimala, an elephant ran amok during the 'Aarattu' procession at a temple here today, but none were injured, police said.
The pachyderm ran amok during the 'Aarattu' procession of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, reportedly due to bursting of
crackers during a festival. There were no casualties, police said. The priest seated astride the pachyderm jumped to safety, they said.
The tusker ran for about 2 km through lanes and by-lanes in the area. After nearly 30 minutes, it entered the backyard
of a house,where personnel of the elephant squad brought it under control by using a tranquiliser, they added. Two other elephants, also part of the procession, became restive. But they were brought under control by a mahout, they said.
The procession was carrying the idols from the temple for the ritualistic dip in the nearby Shangumugham Beach, when the
incident took place, they said. The rally, marking the culmination of the 10-day Pangkuni festival, continued without the elephants.
On March 30, an elephant brought for a festival at the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa temple ran amok, injuring at least
12 persons, including the mahout and a priest. The pachyderm, carrying the 'Thidambu', a miniature version of the idol of Lord Ayyappa, ran amok when the ceremonial 'Arattu' procession of Lord Ayyappa was proceeding to Pamba river from Sannidhanam (temple complex).
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
